Chrysler wants Fiat dealers to avoid haggling with the 500

In a move to build confidence in younger customers, Chrysler Group LLC is requesting that dealers avoid haggling over prices of Fiat vehicles when the Italian brand makes its return to the US.  “The pricing is the pricing,” said Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in North America. “The younger generation doesn’t haggle. They don’t feel comfortable with it. They hate the experience.”

The company has issued advertising standards that include prohibitions on advertising prices lower than MSRP.  Automakers can’t prohibit discounts, but the company is limiting its dealer network to minimize competition.

Fiat has already sold 500,000 500 models worldwide since 2007.  The new 500 will include tweaks to make the car more palatable to US tastes including; an automatic transmission, glove box, and cup-holders.  The company anticipates that early buyers of the car will opt for the manual model, which is slated to get 33 mpg combined, but automatic sales will ultimately reign supreme.

-By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Bloomberg

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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